Not long ago I received an e-mail from my oldest sister, which I posted. It's subject line was: 'Am I The Only Guy That's Fed Up! The e-mail contained several excerpts from Lee Iacocca's new book, "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" Frankly that's a question I've been asking myself a lot over the last four years. Sometimes I have felt a profound sense of isolation and a burgeoning anger about the growing list of deliberate assaults on the Constitution. Don't people understand what peril we are facing?
Where's the outrage?
For the repeated unchecked desecration of the Constitution.
For the Suspension of the Fourth Amendment.
For the Invasion of a country that posed no threat to America.
For the torture of prisoners of war advocated by no less than the Vice President.
For the arrest and open-ended imprisonment of SUSPECTED terrorist.
For allowing a pervasive atmosphere of corruption to exist in Washington without a word of moral outrage.
For hiring cronies so incompetent an American city was left to languish like in a third world country.
For sending American troops into harms way without proper armor and equipment.
For allowing war profiteering with no bid contracts.
For allowing innocent civilians to be slaughtered by federally funded private mercenary paramilitary like Blackwater.
For trying prisoners of war by secret tribunal rather than by trail in open court with.
For suspending the writ of habeas corpus.
For squandering 10 billion dollars a month on an unjust war for oil, while America's infrastructure crumbles.
For the voter suppression that stole two Presidential elections and perverted the foundations of America most sacred right, the right to vote for who represents us.
I am by temperament an Independent, and I have voted both Democratic and Republican over the years, but, I was unable to stomach the profound radical changes that the Republican party made since the implementation of the Contract with America by Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay in collusion with an intolerant, radical religious right.
Some notable, long time Goldwater Conservatives have spoken out, including Mickey Edwards and John Dean, and Susan Eisenhower, but, for the most part the majority of Republicans seem to have ignored these egregious excesses and continue to rationalize them or spin them or worse they have embraced them. They remind me of the "good Germans" after WWII that disavowed the consequences of their own complicity.
While people are trying to focus on "the real issues" like the economy and the spin doctors are trying to distract them with "bogus issues," like gay marriage, there is in my mind only one issue, that supersedes all other issues, the survival of the Constitution and this nation as a democratic republic.
For me the most alarming aspect's of John McCain's campaign have been: 1. His embrace of the Bush's negative attack machine, headed by Karl Rove that helped Bush get elected with some of the most scurrilous ads in American political history, e.g. Swift Boaters. 2. The fact that he now employees a legion of lobbyists to run his, "straight talk" campaign the same lobbyists he once disavowed. 3. The fact that he has been pandering to Bush's radical base who authored the extreme positions that have eroded this country's Constitution and replaced it with their own twisted ideologies. And 4. The continued efforts of the Republican Party to suppress minority voters.
The next election is a watershed event, this country has come to a crossroads of profound importance, it will decide wether America remains a democratic republic or becomes a nation of a one party oligarchy of a few rich powerful men and its corporate financiers, that prizes their own power over the rights of the people.
McCain's embrace of these dangerous left over remnants of the malignant Bush Administration are a clear sign that the same players will survive and the assault they started will continue. Nothing else will matter if he is elected.
Far from being the Change We Need McCain is, the Past We Must Reject Forever!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Wolf(owitz) In Sheeps Clothing
There has been a political metamorphosis going on within the Republican Party for the past thirty years. It has been a gradual process that has left many older Republicans perplexed.
The so called NeoConservatives have abandoned original Republican philosophical underpinnings and transformed Republicanism into a pernicious ideology that has had, and is having a devastating impact on this nation.
Who are the "NeoConservative Republicans" and why we should care?
We should care, because, as you will see, they want to do away with America as a democratic republic, and replace it with a powerful, theocratic oligarchy, transforming it into a nationalistic authoritarian state whose power is wielded by an elite few who can pursue their own vision of "the public good."
Bluntly stated by a leading NeoCon strategist, Grover Norquist, when he said, that he wants to shrink government "down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."
They are the Machiavellian power behind the throne. They're political philosophy retains the outward trappings of traditional Republican principles: fiscal conservatism, strict adherence to the Constitution, small central government, laissez faire capitalism. They have reduced some of these principles to slogans they use to as labels to demonize others i.e. "tax and spend liberals", but in practice they have run up tremendous national debts, expanded government, and have begun a reverse socialism that benefits the rich.
They have added four other elements to this toxic mix, based on the teachings of Leo Strauss a professor of Political Science who taught at the University of Chicago.
His four basic principles are:
1. Strauss and his followers* like Paul Wolfowitz, and Richard Perle, reject man's natural rights and believe that an unfettered government power held by a few powerful elite who could better determine what was in the best interest of the "public good" was preferable. And that it required an imperial like figurehead that was guided by "prudence and moderation" which are euphemisms for "unlimited and unconstitutional executive branch power." Strauss rejected the idea of limited government and advocated an omnipotent, unlimited state power in the pursuit of jingoistic "nationalism."
2. Strauss also believed that only a powerful omnipotent state could control natural human aggression and that a omnipotent state could only be maintained by a perpetual state of war, "even if one has to be manufactured." (such as Iraq?) And its citizens could be rallied behind it by false patriotism.
3. Strauss believed in aggressive lying. He believed that in order to maintain an omnipotent state that it required "perpetual deception" of its citizens. This is all a part of their perpetual campaign to confuse the public and keep it ignorant of their political designs.
4: Strauss believed that fake religiosity was a useful tool to promote this agenda. But Strauss’ position was that the political rulers and the intellectual elite (its philosopher kings?) need not be bound by religion themselves; religion was primarily a propaganda tool to be used to get the masses to acquiesce in state intervention on behalf of aggressive nationalism.
BEWARE: They are the voices urging a war with Iran and now Bill Kristol: is taunting Russia into an ever increasing aggressive posture in South Ossetia which Georgia invaded at the urging of the Bush W.H.. Writing in the Washington Post today, Robert Kagan goes even further, suggesting that the Georgia-Russia conflict may be the start of World War III:
Commentary:
"The founders," believed that natural law holds men are endowed with unalienable rights and that government was always a threat to those rights and that government should be "bound by the chains" of The Constitution.
I had an alarming epiphany four years ago when it struck me like a bolt that I was no longer living in the America of my youth. There were deeply disturbing and insidious changes taking place in this Nation that were the antithesis of the founders vision. It filled me with a fear I didn't understand at the time. I started educating myself as to what was behind this relentless decent into an Authoritarian Fascist Nation.
Don't take my word for it, I urge each and everyone who comes to this website to pursue their own inquiry into what has taken place in America and then reject the cynical policies of the NeoConservative movement on Nov 4th.
*Some of his ardent followers included: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, Defense Policy Board chairman Richard Perle. Lynne Cheney worked with Perle at DPB. Both were close advisors to Vice President Richard Cheney. Others include: Irving Kristol,
Widely referred to as the "godfather" of neoconservatism; William Kristol, Son of "godfather" of neoconservatism, Irving Kristol and chairman of the Project for a New American CenturyLewis "Scooter" Libby, chief of staff and national security advisor for Vice President Dick Cheney; John Bolton, US ambassador to the UN; Elliott Abrams; deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for global democracy strategy; Robert Kagan, Mr. Kagan writes extensively on US strategy and diplomacy. Kagan and fellow neoconservative William Kristol co-founded the Project for a New American Century (PNAC) in 1997. Kagan signed the famous 1998 PNAC letter sent to President Clinton urging regime change in Iraq; Michael Ledeen Seen by many as one of the most radical neoconservatives, Mr. Ledeen is said to frequently advise George W. Bush's top adviser Karl Rove on foreign policy matters. He is one of the strongest voices calling for regime change in Iran.; Frank Gaffney Jr. Mr. Gaffney is the founder, president, and CEO of the influential Washington think tank Center for Security Policy, whose mission is "to promote world peace through American strength." All were heavily involved in Republican administrations going back to Reagan.
Where to start your own search:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/11/neocon-russia-war/
http://www.alternet.org/story/15935/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism
http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/index.html
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/lind1.html
http://www.againstbombing.org/point3.htm
The so called NeoConservatives have abandoned original Republican philosophical underpinnings and transformed Republicanism into a pernicious ideology that has had, and is having a devastating impact on this nation.
Who are the "NeoConservative Republicans" and why we should care?
We should care, because, as you will see, they want to do away with America as a democratic republic, and replace it with a powerful, theocratic oligarchy, transforming it into a nationalistic authoritarian state whose power is wielded by an elite few who can pursue their own vision of "the public good."
Bluntly stated by a leading NeoCon strategist, Grover Norquist, when he said, that he wants to shrink government "down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."
They are the Machiavellian power behind the throne. They're political philosophy retains the outward trappings of traditional Republican principles: fiscal conservatism, strict adherence to the Constitution, small central government, laissez faire capitalism. They have reduced some of these principles to slogans they use to as labels to demonize others i.e. "tax and spend liberals", but in practice they have run up tremendous national debts, expanded government, and have begun a reverse socialism that benefits the rich.
They have added four other elements to this toxic mix, based on the teachings of Leo Strauss a professor of Political Science who taught at the University of Chicago.
His four basic principles are:
1. Strauss and his followers* like Paul Wolfowitz, and Richard Perle, reject man's natural rights and believe that an unfettered government power held by a few powerful elite who could better determine what was in the best interest of the "public good" was preferable. And that it required an imperial like figurehead that was guided by "prudence and moderation" which are euphemisms for "unlimited and unconstitutional executive branch power." Strauss rejected the idea of limited government and advocated an omnipotent, unlimited state power in the pursuit of jingoistic "nationalism."
2. Strauss also believed that only a powerful omnipotent state could control natural human aggression and that a omnipotent state could only be maintained by a perpetual state of war, "even if one has to be manufactured." (such as Iraq?) And its citizens could be rallied behind it by false patriotism.
3. Strauss believed in aggressive lying. He believed that in order to maintain an omnipotent state that it required "perpetual deception" of its citizens. This is all a part of their perpetual campaign to confuse the public and keep it ignorant of their political designs.
4: Strauss believed that fake religiosity was a useful tool to promote this agenda. But Strauss’ position was that the political rulers and the intellectual elite (its philosopher kings?) need not be bound by religion themselves; religion was primarily a propaganda tool to be used to get the masses to acquiesce in state intervention on behalf of aggressive nationalism.
BEWARE: They are the voices urging a war with Iran and now Bill Kristol: is taunting Russia into an ever increasing aggressive posture in South Ossetia which Georgia invaded at the urging of the Bush W.H.. Writing in the Washington Post today, Robert Kagan goes even further, suggesting that the Georgia-Russia conflict may be the start of World War III:
Commentary:
"The founders," believed that natural law holds men are endowed with unalienable rights and that government was always a threat to those rights and that government should be "bound by the chains" of The Constitution.
I had an alarming epiphany four years ago when it struck me like a bolt that I was no longer living in the America of my youth. There were deeply disturbing and insidious changes taking place in this Nation that were the antithesis of the founders vision. It filled me with a fear I didn't understand at the time. I started educating myself as to what was behind this relentless decent into an Authoritarian Fascist Nation.
Don't take my word for it, I urge each and everyone who comes to this website to pursue their own inquiry into what has taken place in America and then reject the cynical policies of the NeoConservative movement on Nov 4th.
*Some of his ardent followers included: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, Defense Policy Board chairman Richard Perle. Lynne Cheney worked with Perle at DPB. Both were close advisors to Vice President Richard Cheney. Others include: Irving Kristol,
Widely referred to as the "godfather" of neoconservatism; William Kristol, Son of "godfather" of neoconservatism, Irving Kristol and chairman of the Project for a New American CenturyLewis "Scooter" Libby, chief of staff and national security advisor for Vice President Dick Cheney; John Bolton, US ambassador to the UN; Elliott Abrams; deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for global democracy strategy; Robert Kagan, Mr. Kagan writes extensively on US strategy and diplomacy. Kagan and fellow neoconservative William Kristol co-founded the Project for a New American Century (PNAC) in 1997. Kagan signed the famous 1998 PNAC letter sent to President Clinton urging regime change in Iraq; Michael Ledeen Seen by many as one of the most radical neoconservatives, Mr. Ledeen is said to frequently advise George W. Bush's top adviser Karl Rove on foreign policy matters. He is one of the strongest voices calling for regime change in Iran.; Frank Gaffney Jr. Mr. Gaffney is the founder, president, and CEO of the influential Washington think tank Center for Security Policy, whose mission is "to promote world peace through American strength." All were heavily involved in Republican administrations going back to Reagan.
Where to start your own search:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/11/neocon-russia-war/
http://www.alternet.org/story/15935/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism
http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/index.html
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/lind1.html
http://www.againstbombing.org/point3.htm
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sound and Fury That Means Nothing
The failures of Republican policies are absolutely stunning, both their foreign policies and most recently their economic policies of reckless deregulation, that let greed on Wall street run rampant.
One would expect that in the face of such overwhelming evidence, there would have been some modicum of humility in recognition that those policies were at the root cause of much of this chaos.
Yet after the vote, that required our elected officials to put partisan ranker aside failed, the Republicans came out and blamed the failure to reach compromise squarely at the leadership of the Democrats and blame them for playing partisan politics, because their feelings were hurt by Nancy Pelosi.
An inconvenient truth they didn't mention, was the monumental failure of the Republican leadership, of President Bush, Secretary Paulson, John Boenher, Roy Blunt, and "Mighty Mouse McCain", who flew into save the day, last week, to convince a large portion of House Republican holdouts that the Nation was in serious trouble.
In a press conference after the failed vote, they were still singing their, free markets unrestrained capitalism, chant as if they were at a pep rally, like they still don't see a real connection between the collapse, and unregulated markets.
They seem to remove themselves from the greed on Wall street and the rampant corruptive influence of Wall street lobbyists on their decision making. They were more inclined to blame people that took out bad mortgages rather than on the people who without regulation formulated ever increasingly, risker ways to flim-flam an unsuspecting consumer, nation and world market. They seemed stunned that there was rampant greed at the root of Capitalism a religion they have long subscribed too.
Are they so naive that they don't know that, the very basis of the Capitalist system; is greedy self interest? In their perfectly absurd world of altered reality they think that everyone will treat others as they want to be treated, because they have a commonality of preserving the status quo, of balanced greed.
The fact is, there is and always has been and always will be, some who are greedier than others and they will inevitably steal everyone else blind, if left to decide what is too greedy. That's the reality of unregulated capitalism. Why else would it be, that 400 families in a nation of 364 million, hold 80 percent of the wealth of this nation.
They decry government as the problem. They are wrong. Government is the only way too establish balance that protects us from the rampant greed of others that would deprive us all of our economic liberty.
That is why all of their, "sound and fury"* means nothing, they are at the root of the problem not the answer to the problem. They drank the Cool-Aide and are wondering why we and this nation are as sick as we are, and their solution is to drink more Cool-Aide. More tax cuts for the rich and less government regulation.
Please reject these failed Republican policies on Nov. 4th. They are out of touch with every decent American that is honest and hard working. They have forgotten us, it's time we forget them. They have listened to their rich lobbyists friends, that buy their votes like common whores, for far too long, it's time they listened to those that elected them.
* “It is a tale … full of sound and fury; signifying nothing.” Quote from Macbeth
One would expect that in the face of such overwhelming evidence, there would have been some modicum of humility in recognition that those policies were at the root cause of much of this chaos.
Yet after the vote, that required our elected officials to put partisan ranker aside failed, the Republicans came out and blamed the failure to reach compromise squarely at the leadership of the Democrats and blame them for playing partisan politics, because their feelings were hurt by Nancy Pelosi.
An inconvenient truth they didn't mention, was the monumental failure of the Republican leadership, of President Bush, Secretary Paulson, John Boenher, Roy Blunt, and "Mighty Mouse McCain", who flew into save the day, last week, to convince a large portion of House Republican holdouts that the Nation was in serious trouble.
In a press conference after the failed vote, they were still singing their, free markets unrestrained capitalism, chant as if they were at a pep rally, like they still don't see a real connection between the collapse, and unregulated markets.
They seem to remove themselves from the greed on Wall street and the rampant corruptive influence of Wall street lobbyists on their decision making. They were more inclined to blame people that took out bad mortgages rather than on the people who without regulation formulated ever increasingly, risker ways to flim-flam an unsuspecting consumer, nation and world market. They seemed stunned that there was rampant greed at the root of Capitalism a religion they have long subscribed too.
Are they so naive that they don't know that, the very basis of the Capitalist system; is greedy self interest? In their perfectly absurd world of altered reality they think that everyone will treat others as they want to be treated, because they have a commonality of preserving the status quo, of balanced greed.
The fact is, there is and always has been and always will be, some who are greedier than others and they will inevitably steal everyone else blind, if left to decide what is too greedy. That's the reality of unregulated capitalism. Why else would it be, that 400 families in a nation of 364 million, hold 80 percent of the wealth of this nation.
They decry government as the problem. They are wrong. Government is the only way too establish balance that protects us from the rampant greed of others that would deprive us all of our economic liberty.
That is why all of their, "sound and fury"* means nothing, they are at the root of the problem not the answer to the problem. They drank the Cool-Aide and are wondering why we and this nation are as sick as we are, and their solution is to drink more Cool-Aide. More tax cuts for the rich and less government regulation.
Please reject these failed Republican policies on Nov. 4th. They are out of touch with every decent American that is honest and hard working. They have forgotten us, it's time we forget them. They have listened to their rich lobbyists friends, that buy their votes like common whores, for far too long, it's time they listened to those that elected them.
* “It is a tale … full of sound and fury; signifying nothing.” Quote from Macbeth
Monday, September 22, 2008
America: A Riches To Rags Story
This nation is in dire straits. I think this current financial collapse is going to make make the depression look like a picnic. How we came to this juncture in American history is clouded with charge and counter charge, by paid political pundits, lobbying groups, think tanks and a bankrupt moral climate in our federal government on both sides of the aisle. We have elected officials that pander like whores to highest bidder. I would urge you to consider your vote very carefully. It is how we can impose term limits, its time to clean House, Senate, and White House. No incumbents should be left standing after Nov 4th, on either side of the aisle.
We have MBA economists touting unsound economic theories such as, "Darwinian economics", based on self interest and greed. We have raised such theories to a level of cult worship without regard for the logical outcomes of such pathologically flawed ideas.
Greed without restraint. Unregulated economic rape of unsuspecting consumers all in the guise of unfettered free trade and markets. The list of suspects in this collusion are legion. The radical right wing conservatives who mouth the words spun with guile meant to cloak the real effects of these so called theories.
You've heard the buzz words that hide the truth of their real malevolence: free trade, deregulation, globalization, let the market decide, privatization, outsourcing just to name a few.
In stead of plain talk they weave policies in deliberate obfuscation. Lets have a look at what they are really saying. Globalization and Outsourcing sound innocuous and justifiable after all its just seeking the lowest priced labor pool for the benefit of the corporation stockholders.
But consider what happens when it is put into practice, you or your neighbor are forced out of their job and into lower paying jobs elsewhere in the economy.
Basically you are now in wage competition with third world countries without regulation or protection for their workers, who in many cases will work for pennies an hour. Do these so called American Corporations care? No way. This is Darwinian Economics, basically they are saying, I've got mine and you can go to hell. Patriots that swear allegiance to the dollar, not to flag or country.
To add insult to injury they flood American markets with cheap products and goods produced in China. What country benefits in the exchange? Communist China. Who gets the benefit of bloated profits? The stockholders. Who gets the shaft? American workers.
But we are complicit in our own demise, we purchase these cheap products. It started in the seventies when we allowed foreign auto imports into this country. That has devastated our domestic automakers.
All of that, along with the incessant mantra of deregulation, that has given free reign to the worst aspects of human nature, has brought this house of cards crashing down. Now these "born again" regulators and reformers want us to believe that their thirty year war on the regulations that have kept us safe since the Great Depression has nothing to do with them or their amoral policies.
John McCain seems surprised and outraged that men are greedy and amoral. Which is the reason we need the government, that he has, heretofore despised, and has said "the government is problem".
Now they want us to give them a blank check for 700 billion dollars, in addition to the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG and Bear Sterans bailouts we have already given them. Plus they don't want the American people to have any over sight, or put any limits on "the golden parachutes " of the greedy bastards that did this. In the market place if you or I as an employee screwed up we would get fired without severance or unemployment benefits(period)
Their head cheerleader John McCain a suddenly, "born again" re-regulator says he will fix what has been broken, even though he didn't have enough foresight to anticipate the consequences of his own policies that he has been pushing for the last thirty years. He said in a moment of absolute honesty, that he doesn't understand economics very well. That makes John McCain unfit to lead this country.
We have MBA economists touting unsound economic theories such as, "Darwinian economics", based on self interest and greed. We have raised such theories to a level of cult worship without regard for the logical outcomes of such pathologically flawed ideas.
Greed without restraint. Unregulated economic rape of unsuspecting consumers all in the guise of unfettered free trade and markets. The list of suspects in this collusion are legion. The radical right wing conservatives who mouth the words spun with guile meant to cloak the real effects of these so called theories.
You've heard the buzz words that hide the truth of their real malevolence: free trade, deregulation, globalization, let the market decide, privatization, outsourcing just to name a few.
In stead of plain talk they weave policies in deliberate obfuscation. Lets have a look at what they are really saying. Globalization and Outsourcing sound innocuous and justifiable after all its just seeking the lowest priced labor pool for the benefit of the corporation stockholders.
But consider what happens when it is put into practice, you or your neighbor are forced out of their job and into lower paying jobs elsewhere in the economy.
Basically you are now in wage competition with third world countries without regulation or protection for their workers, who in many cases will work for pennies an hour. Do these so called American Corporations care? No way. This is Darwinian Economics, basically they are saying, I've got mine and you can go to hell. Patriots that swear allegiance to the dollar, not to flag or country.
To add insult to injury they flood American markets with cheap products and goods produced in China. What country benefits in the exchange? Communist China. Who gets the benefit of bloated profits? The stockholders. Who gets the shaft? American workers.
But we are complicit in our own demise, we purchase these cheap products. It started in the seventies when we allowed foreign auto imports into this country. That has devastated our domestic automakers.
All of that, along with the incessant mantra of deregulation, that has given free reign to the worst aspects of human nature, has brought this house of cards crashing down. Now these "born again" regulators and reformers want us to believe that their thirty year war on the regulations that have kept us safe since the Great Depression has nothing to do with them or their amoral policies.
John McCain seems surprised and outraged that men are greedy and amoral. Which is the reason we need the government, that he has, heretofore despised, and has said "the government is problem".
Now they want us to give them a blank check for 700 billion dollars, in addition to the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG and Bear Sterans bailouts we have already given them. Plus they don't want the American people to have any over sight, or put any limits on "the golden parachutes " of the greedy bastards that did this. In the market place if you or I as an employee screwed up we would get fired without severance or unemployment benefits(period)
Their head cheerleader John McCain a suddenly, "born again" re-regulator says he will fix what has been broken, even though he didn't have enough foresight to anticipate the consequences of his own policies that he has been pushing for the last thirty years. He said in a moment of absolute honesty, that he doesn't understand economics very well. That makes John McCain unfit to lead this country.
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
—Thomas Jefferson—
—Thomas Jefferson—
America America, for Endless Waves of Debt
As an American that has held a minority political and economic view for decades, I predicted this collapse some four years ago. If my view of the world is correct this adjustment was long over due. For the second time in our history the religion of unfettered capitalism has shown that greed has it own self limiting consequences.
We forgot the lessons of the Great Depression. And we let the Neocon Republican ideologues brow beat us into a stupor of complacency. Their political agenda of empire building and their manufactured constant state of paranoia from exaggerated external threats has put this country in a state of decline.
I love my country, it has contributed an ideal of individual freedom and equality that is to be aspired to, but, suffers from thinking itself greater than it is, and the truth is that its position in history is as fragile as any other country that would be an "empire".
The biblical admonition "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." seems appropriate. I hope that what emerges from the ashes is a humbler less self absorbed country.
To the "born again" Republican regulators and reformers No bailout. Not without massive over sight, restraints, and strict re-regulation of the banking industries. Its time "the real elitists" share the pain, the fat bastards that ran this into the ground. Absolutely No parachutes whatsoever for them. The average person in this country doesn't get severance or unemployment benefits when we screw up we get fired and thrown out the door. Let them share the pain of their incompetence. Personal responsibility its not just a Republican idea anymore.
To the Democrats who think the upcoming election will be a mandate to ever greater social programs: this country is flat ass broke. And America is in no mood for expanding the deficit, trust me on this, there is a growing rage in America that feels betrayed by its "elected leaders." You should embrace the T. Boone Pickens Plan for energy independence, he's brilliant and has thought this problem through. Plus it will put American's back to work almost immediately creating wealth again. Plus encourage old fashioned savings.
To both parties because of your failed leadership to come up with a sustainable energy plan, we have squandered our wealth, on "cheap oil", on conspicuous over consumption, cheap Chinese imports, unprovoked foreign wars and living beyond our means chasing an empty American Dream that over consumption will make us happy.
News Flash: Over consumption doesn't make us any happier than over eating makes us skinny.
What Madison missed, is that, unfortunately, governments are made up of men.
We forgot the lessons of the Great Depression. And we let the Neocon Republican ideologues brow beat us into a stupor of complacency. Their political agenda of empire building and their manufactured constant state of paranoia from exaggerated external threats has put this country in a state of decline.
I love my country, it has contributed an ideal of individual freedom and equality that is to be aspired to, but, suffers from thinking itself greater than it is, and the truth is that its position in history is as fragile as any other country that would be an "empire".
The biblical admonition "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." seems appropriate. I hope that what emerges from the ashes is a humbler less self absorbed country.
To the "born again" Republican regulators and reformers No bailout. Not without massive over sight, restraints, and strict re-regulation of the banking industries. Its time "the real elitists" share the pain, the fat bastards that ran this into the ground. Absolutely No parachutes whatsoever for them. The average person in this country doesn't get severance or unemployment benefits when we screw up we get fired and thrown out the door. Let them share the pain of their incompetence. Personal responsibility its not just a Republican idea anymore.
To the Democrats who think the upcoming election will be a mandate to ever greater social programs: this country is flat ass broke. And America is in no mood for expanding the deficit, trust me on this, there is a growing rage in America that feels betrayed by its "elected leaders." You should embrace the T. Boone Pickens Plan for energy independence, he's brilliant and has thought this problem through. Plus it will put American's back to work almost immediately creating wealth again. Plus encourage old fashioned savings.
To both parties because of your failed leadership to come up with a sustainable energy plan, we have squandered our wealth, on "cheap oil", on conspicuous over consumption, cheap Chinese imports, unprovoked foreign wars and living beyond our means chasing an empty American Dream that over consumption will make us happy.
News Flash: Over consumption doesn't make us any happier than over eating makes us skinny.
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
— James Madison—
— James Madison—
What Madison missed, is that, unfortunately, governments are made up of men.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Of the Rich, By the Rich, For the Rich
Here are some of today's headlines:
"Government rushing to finish huge financial rescue plan"
"Bush says government role essential to ease crisis"
"Stocks soar as officials confirm government rescue plan"
Commentary:
The Republicans' have deregulated America into another depression.
The lessons of the Great Depression, had all but been forgotten, before the architects of financial disaster were again hard at work, trying to undermine every safeguard America had put in place, to stave off another such occurrence.
Their manic pronouncements of superior knowledge in all things financial, and high-handed bullying tactics, coupled with massive monetary incentives from corporate lobbyists, has corrupted the political system in America to such a degree, that our elected officials have become nothing more than common whores, whose vote goes to the highest bidder.
Free unbridled capitalism is their mantra, free of restraints, free of government interference, free of oversight, free of taxation. free of common sense, all so that they could be free to make predatory loans, free, to exploit those who can least afford to be exploited, free to hide massive bad debts in a labyrinth of twisted derivatives, and free to plunder the common wealth of America.
Now that these greedy, amoral, slobbering Republican dogs, of free market capitalism, have brought this country to the brink of economic ruin, they come without shame, hat in hand to the American people, they despise and say we must bail them out. The same smug, self-righteous, arrogant, trickle down crowd who take the best of everything America has to offer and bemoan even paying their fair share of taxes.
Their reprehensible, cretinous, figurehead George W. Bush crawled out of his hole, long enough to say, that; "the governments' role is essential to ease the crisis"
Is that the same government that the Republican party has so long castigated as, "being the problem"? The government, you Republicans have tried to gut with underfunding and the appointment of the terminally incompetent to manage it? The government, of which you Republicans' wanted to be free from? The government whose Constitution you Republicans' have tried to ruin? This government, of the people, by the people and for the people, this democratic republic you have tried to replace it with your elitist, repressive, radical religious theocratic ideology?
Here's what I say:
"All of you murderous, war mongering, Republican dogs, should eat your own, regurgitated excrement and die".
I pray that the American people wake up and say the same thing on November 4th. If there is one Republican dog left standing after the November elections, they should be euthanized.
"Government rushing to finish huge financial rescue plan"
"Bush says government role essential to ease crisis"
"Stocks soar as officials confirm government rescue plan"
Commentary:
The Republicans' have deregulated America into another depression.
The lessons of the Great Depression, had all but been forgotten, before the architects of financial disaster were again hard at work, trying to undermine every safeguard America had put in place, to stave off another such occurrence.
Their manic pronouncements of superior knowledge in all things financial, and high-handed bullying tactics, coupled with massive monetary incentives from corporate lobbyists, has corrupted the political system in America to such a degree, that our elected officials have become nothing more than common whores, whose vote goes to the highest bidder.
Free unbridled capitalism is their mantra, free of restraints, free of government interference, free of oversight, free of taxation. free of common sense, all so that they could be free to make predatory loans, free, to exploit those who can least afford to be exploited, free to hide massive bad debts in a labyrinth of twisted derivatives, and free to plunder the common wealth of America.
Now that these greedy, amoral, slobbering Republican dogs, of free market capitalism, have brought this country to the brink of economic ruin, they come without shame, hat in hand to the American people, they despise and say we must bail them out. The same smug, self-righteous, arrogant, trickle down crowd who take the best of everything America has to offer and bemoan even paying their fair share of taxes.
Their reprehensible, cretinous, figurehead George W. Bush crawled out of his hole, long enough to say, that; "the governments' role is essential to ease the crisis"
Is that the same government that the Republican party has so long castigated as, "being the problem"? The government, you Republicans have tried to gut with underfunding and the appointment of the terminally incompetent to manage it? The government, of which you Republicans' wanted to be free from? The government whose Constitution you Republicans' have tried to ruin? This government, of the people, by the people and for the people, this democratic republic you have tried to replace it with your elitist, repressive, radical religious theocratic ideology?
Here's what I say:
"All of you murderous, war mongering, Republican dogs, should eat your own, regurgitated excrement and die".
I pray that the American people wake up and say the same thing on November 4th. If there is one Republican dog left standing after the November elections, they should be euthanized.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Shades Of The Keating Five:
A commission to study the current financial crisis? John here's a clue where to start looking. A mirror! Or you could e-mail your buddy Phil Gramm and ask him, what happened, remember he was head of the Banking Committee in the 1990's, the guy that led the charge on behalf of the banks, insurance, and securities companies to repeal the Glass-Stegall Act. To "modernize" the banking industry. Your old economic advisor, remember?
The same industries that in 1997 and 1998 alone gave over $58 million in contributions to political candidates, $87 million to the two parties, and spent an additional $163 million in "expenses."
Here's what "big" Phil said at the signing:
So, John, now you want the taxpayers to bale out the industries that you geniuses deregulated, so that the banks could run amok like they did, in the run up to the Great Depression? We don't need a CYA Commission to study that John. It sounds like another **Keating Five moment, but, maybe this Commission will turn out better for you.
Commentary:
The misappropriation of Lincoln's quote didn't take into account that, the Great Depression was a lesson that provided us valuable information, and showed us how to protect ourselves against the rampant greed of a small minority of businessmen, with shortsighted profit potential as their only motive.
It was not an outmoded law, as was suggested by Phil Gramm, it did what government does best, protects its citizens against the ruthless ambitions of the amoral among us. It was a lesson learned and forgotten by the American people, facilitated by paid stooges, that have led us into another debacle. The truth is, there is no expiration date on human greed and governments protection of its citizens is never outmoded.
No one in either party is immune from scrutiny in this current debacle, Republican or Democrat. They were all in on it to one degree or other. There were only eight dissenting votes in the Senate and 57 dissenting votes in the House, when the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act passed. Who was looking out for us? Apparently no one. The words, Phil Gramm, spoke at the signing ceremony, ring hollow and are full of bitter irony in light of the tremendous damage this supposed "deregulatory bill" has caused.
One thing for sure, government regulations are the only protection we have against the ruthless, rich and greedy. And that the Republican mantras': free markets, deregulation, tax cuts for the rich and government is the problem, are empty self serving bullshit.
John you have been working for decades to weaken the agencies that should have been watching these industries like hawks. And now you want, the American tax payer, to bale out your rich friends? And elect you as President? What Chutzpah!!
**A similar failure of the S&Ls in 1980s, in which John McCain played a prominent role, was precipitated by the deregulation of the savings and loan associations, allowing them to make highly risky investments with their depositors' money, such as buying land, taking equity positions in real estate development projects, and buying high-yield junk bonds.
The failure and subsequent government bale-out, prompted a Congressional investigation which focused on the President of the Lincoln Savings and Loan and five U.S. Congressmen, who became known as the Keating Five. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five
If you want more details here's where to start looking:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramm-Leach-Bliley_Act#cite_note-3
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/102399banks-congress.html
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/102399bank-lobby.html
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/102399bank-impact.html
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/102399bank-analysis.html
The same industries that in 1997 and 1998 alone gave over $58 million in contributions to political candidates, $87 million to the two parties, and spent an additional $163 million in "expenses."
Here's what "big" Phil said at the signing:
" The world changes, and Congress
and the laws have to change with it.
"Abraham Lincoln used to like to use the analogy that
old and outmoded laws need to be changed
because it made about as much sense
to continue to impose them on people
as it did to ask a man to wear the same clothes
he did when he was a child.
"In the 1930s, at the trough of the Depression,
when Glass-Steagall became law,
it was believed that government was the answer.
It was believed that stability and growth
came from government overriding the functioning of free markets.
(Turns out they were right and you were wrong.)
"We are here today to repeal Glass-Steagall
because we have learned that government is not the answer.
We have learned that freedom and competition are the answers.
We have learned that we promote economic growth
and we promote stability by having competition and freedom.
"I am proud to be here because this is an important bill;
it is a deregulatory bill.
I believe that that is the wave of the future,
and I am awfully proud to have been a part of making it."
and the laws have to change with it.
"Abraham Lincoln used to like to use the analogy that
old and outmoded laws need to be changed
because it made about as much sense
to continue to impose them on people
as it did to ask a man to wear the same clothes
he did when he was a child.
"In the 1930s, at the trough of the Depression,
when Glass-Steagall became law,
it was believed that government was the answer.
It was believed that stability and growth
came from government overriding the functioning of free markets.
(Turns out they were right and you were wrong.)
"We are here today to repeal Glass-Steagall
because we have learned that government is not the answer.
We have learned that freedom and competition are the answers.
We have learned that we promote economic growth
and we promote stability by having competition and freedom.
"I am proud to be here because this is an important bill;
it is a deregulatory bill.
I believe that that is the wave of the future,
and I am awfully proud to have been a part of making it."
So, John, now you want the taxpayers to bale out the industries that you geniuses deregulated, so that the banks could run amok like they did, in the run up to the Great Depression? We don't need a CYA Commission to study that John. It sounds like another **Keating Five moment, but, maybe this Commission will turn out better for you.
Commentary:
The misappropriation of Lincoln's quote didn't take into account that, the Great Depression was a lesson that provided us valuable information, and showed us how to protect ourselves against the rampant greed of a small minority of businessmen, with shortsighted profit potential as their only motive.
It was not an outmoded law, as was suggested by Phil Gramm, it did what government does best, protects its citizens against the ruthless ambitions of the amoral among us. It was a lesson learned and forgotten by the American people, facilitated by paid stooges, that have led us into another debacle. The truth is, there is no expiration date on human greed and governments protection of its citizens is never outmoded.
No one in either party is immune from scrutiny in this current debacle, Republican or Democrat. They were all in on it to one degree or other. There were only eight dissenting votes in the Senate and 57 dissenting votes in the House, when the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act passed. Who was looking out for us? Apparently no one. The words, Phil Gramm, spoke at the signing ceremony, ring hollow and are full of bitter irony in light of the tremendous damage this supposed "deregulatory bill" has caused.
One thing for sure, government regulations are the only protection we have against the ruthless, rich and greedy. And that the Republican mantras': free markets, deregulation, tax cuts for the rich and government is the problem, are empty self serving bullshit.
John you have been working for decades to weaken the agencies that should have been watching these industries like hawks. And now you want, the American tax payer, to bale out your rich friends? And elect you as President? What Chutzpah!!
**A similar failure of the S&Ls in 1980s, in which John McCain played a prominent role, was precipitated by the deregulation of the savings and loan associations, allowing them to make highly risky investments with their depositors' money, such as buying land, taking equity positions in real estate development projects, and buying high-yield junk bonds.
The failure and subsequent government bale-out, prompted a Congressional investigation which focused on the President of the Lincoln Savings and Loan and five U.S. Congressmen, who became known as the Keating Five. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five
If you want more details here's where to start looking:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramm-Leach-Bliley_Act#cite_note-3
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/102399banks-congress.html
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/102399bank-lobby.html
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/102399bank-impact.html
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/102399bank-analysis.html
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